Buttonhole.



PAUL WEISS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BUTTONHOLE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed February 23,1907. Serial No. 858,934.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL WEISS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Buttonholes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a view of a portion of the button fly of a shoe embodying the features of my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the button fly shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the reinforcing member; Fig. 4 is a view showing a worked button hole constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a portion of a button fly in which the reinforcing member is arranged on one face of the fly.

This invention relates to a new method of forming a button hole, and has for its main object to provide a button hole that will not tear out at the end which is subject to strains.

Another object of my invention is to provide a button [ly for a shoe which is provided with a reinforcing member that prevents the button holes in the fly from tearing outwardly to the edge of the fly, and also prevents the edge portion of the fly from curling.

Broadly stated my invention consists in providing the piece of material in which a button hole is formed with a reinforcing member arranged at one end of the button hole, this reinforcing member being preferably formed from a piece of material that is folded or doubled over.

I have herein illustrated my invention in connection with the button fly of a shoe, the reinforcing member being preferably in the form of a folded strip of leather that is interposed between the two layers of material from which the fly is formed,'and arranged longitudinally of the edge portion of the fly with its folded edge presented inwardly so as to form the outer ends of the button holes. It should be understood,however, that my bread idea is not limited in its use to button flies for shoes, nor to a reinforcing member formed from a folded strip of leather, nor to a construction in which the reinforcing member is interposed between a plurality of layers of material in which a button hole is formed.

Referring to the drawings which represent the preferred form of my invention, 1 designates a portion of the button fly of a shoe formed from two pieces of material and provided with a plurality of button holes 2. A flat reinforcing member 3 is interposed between the layers of material from which the fly is formed and is arranged longitudinally of the edge portion of the fly, the inner edge of said reinforcing member preferably extending across the outer ends of the button holes,

and thus practically forming the outer ends of the button holes. In the preferred form of my invention this reinforcing member consists of a strip of leather skived off on its rough face and folded or doubled over as shown in Fig. 3, so as to form a member that is approximately wedge shaped in cross section.

The reinforcing member is arranged on the fly with its folded or beaded edge 3 presented inwardly and is secured in position by rows of stitches 4. The rows of stitches 5 which extend round the button holes also pass through the reinforcing member, and as the folded edge of said reinforcing member forms the outer ends of the button holes, it will be impossible for the button holes to tear outwardly toward the edge of the fly.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a raw edge button hole formed in accordance with my invention but it will be obvious that a worked button hole could be formed in the same manner, this being illustrated in Fig. 4. It is not absolutely necessary that the reinforcing member be interposed between the two layers of material which form the fly, the same result would be accomplished if the reinforcing member were applied to either the outer or the inner side of the fly as shown in Fig. 5. It is preferable however to arrange the reinforcing member between the two layers of material which. form the fly, thereby hiding said member from view and producing a neat button fly that will not curl upwardly, the reinforcing member acting as a stiffener for the edge portion of the fly.

While I have illustrated the reinforcing member as consisting of a piece of material that is doubled or folded, I do not wish it to be understood that my invention is limited to such a construction, as the reinforcing member could consist of a single thickness of material if said material were of such a character that it would not tear. Furthermore, while I have illustrated my invention in connection with the button fly of a shoe, it should be understood that a button hole in any kind of an article could be formed in this manner and that instead of providing a reinforcing member that extended across the ends of several button holes, independent reinforcing members could be provided for each button hole.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A button-fly for a shoe provided with a reinforcing member which consists of a flat piece of material that is folded or doubled upon itself, said member being arranged at the outer end of a button opening in the fly with its folded edge presented toward the opening; substantially as described.

2. A button-fly for a shoe provided with a flat reinforcing member that extends longitudinally of the fly between the outer edge thereof and the outer ends of the button openings formed therein and having a thickened edge that is presented toward the button openings; substantially as described.

3. A button-fly for a shoeprovided with a reinforcing member that extends longitudinally of the fly between the edge thereof and the outer ends of the button openings, said member consisting of a piece of leather that is skived off on one side and folded over and arranged with its folded edge presented toward the button openings; substantially as described.

4. A button-fly for a shoe provided with a reinforcing member that is wedge-shape in cross section, said member being arranged between the layers of material from which the fly is formed and extending longitudinally of the 11y with its thick edge extending across the button openings so as to form the outer ends of said openings; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of February, 1907.

PAUL WEISS.

Witnesses WELLS L. CHURCH, Gnonon BAKEWELL. 

